


A Tile (In The Mosaic)

by lemondrops777



Category: The Magicians (TV)
Genre: Episode: s03e05 A Life in the Day, F/M, Family, Fluff, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-13
Updated: 2019-03-13
Packaged: 2019-11-17 13:07:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18099104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lemondrops777/pseuds/lemondrops777
Summary: Eliot didn't want to be a dad, that didn't mean he didn't become one.





	A Tile (In The Mosaic)

**Author's Note:**

> Had this floating in my head for a while, decided to write it down. Enjoy.

Eliot set aside his plate of food onto the nearby table as Quentin placed a small bundle into his arms. It had been a few hours since Arielle had given birth to her and Q’s son and now Eliot stared into the small, the incredibly small face of their child.

“Isn’t he perfect, El?” Quentin whispered as the two men gazed down at Teddy Coldwater.

Eliot nodded silently, not wanting to speak; he had told himself all throughout Arielle’s pregnancy that he wouldn’t become emotional when the baby actually arrived, considering he wasn’t the father or anything. The first tear began to prickle along his eyelashes and shifting the baby in his arms, to wiped it away quickly.

Quentin stifled a laugh, “I saw that.”

Eliot looked up into his best friend’s face, into the face of Teddy’s father and saw a new man before him. Q still looked the same, but there was a newness about him, he was beaming with love and pride. He brought his free hand up and caressed it at Quentin’s neck, bringing him down for a kiss. Q’s lips met his and El could feel him smile against his mouth.

Pulling back from the embrace, Eliot stared into Quentin’s eyes, “He’s beautiful, just like you and Arielle, perhaps a bit more than you.” He joked.

Quentin smiled brightly, looking back towards Arielle sound asleep on their bed, before meeting Eliot’s gaze once more, “Yeah, he is.” He agreed.

Q bent forward and kissed Eliot on the forehead, “I’ll be right back, look after him for a sec, huh?”

Eliot looked down at the tiny infant as Quentin stepped out of the cottage, leaving him alone with the precious bundle. The sound of Arielle’s soft breathing and the fire popping drifted away as Eliot was alone with his friends’ child.

Teddy cooed briefly before settling once more into sleep as Eliot continued to watch him, never in a million years did Eliot think he would be looking at a baby, safe in his arms, and fall so in love with it so quickly. He had been apprehensive throughout the last nine months, worried that he wouldn’t be good enough, that this baby would be a mistake and ruin his life.

He shamefully thought of Fen and his daughter that never was, he hadn’t wanted a child, never; he liked his life fully of alcohol and drugs and sex that a baby could never fit within his life. That was still a life he had hoped when he became king, before this mosaic and Arielle and his life with Quentin. Q it appeared to be perfect for the wife and child life, adding Eliot to the equation got a bit messy, but it worked on a level he would never understand.

He had never asked Fen what they would have called their child, Fen said that she had been born stillborn and never saw her, and Eliot wondered what color hair she have; probably brown like Fen’s. He missed his chance with Fen, but perhaps this was the universe’s fucked up way of giving Eliot a taste of that missed opportunity. Q would have the wife and baby, and Eliot would be the outsider looking in on the life he hadn’t really wanted.

The door opened quietly, and Eliot looked up; unconsciously pressing Teddy closer to his chest, as Quentin walked in and smiled softly at El.

Eliot relaxed and moved to hand the infant to its father, Q stooped down and collected his son before sitting down next to Eliot, their shoulders almost pressing.

“He’s beautiful, isn’t he?” Quentin whispered, the awe in his voice was so pure and genuine.

El grinned and nodded in agreement, “Yes, he is.”

“He’s yours too,” Q said looking up at his friend, “Arielle and I talked, and he belongs to you too.”

Eliot shifted in his chair but remained quiet, instead he leant forward and pressed a kiss to the side of Q’s face before gently leaning down and left a kiss on the crown of Teddy’s head. Only Quentin Coldwater could say a few words and tug his heartstrings in such a manner that Eliot felt he was given the whole world. 

“This is not how I thought this quest was going to go.” Quentin let out a small chuckle.

Sitting up, Eliot grinned at Q and nodded, “Yeah, I know. It’s fucking crazy how this turned out, I mean we could be done tomorrow.”

Eliot felt Quentin still next to him and he knew what his friend was thinking; yes, this quest could be all over tomorrow by filling out the correct configuration; and all of this would be gone. This tiny life they built the three, now four of them; instantly over. The last couple of years had not been perfect, but they had been something that Eliot treasured; he had this family he loved dearly and magic and not feeling like his life was in danger every time he turned around. 

Eliot had found beauty in this life and a small part of him didn’t want this to be over just yet.

“Let’s take a break from the mosaic.” Eliot proposed, watching Quentin’s face shift to confusion before he continued, “You know, for a few days or so, just let us breathe and take care of Arielle and Teddy.”

A smiled form on Q’s mouth as he nodded in agreement, “Yeah, I mean, a few days would be nice.” Quentin gazed to Arielle and back to El before leaning his head to rest on Eliot’s shoulder.

A few moments past and Eliot reached out for the infant as he felt his friend slip into sleep, cradling their son in his arms once more, “Welcome to the world, Teddy, it’s a bit fuc…” Eliot paused, realizing that not cursing in front of the child was going to be a hard habit to break, a learning experience for sure. 

His heart pained briefly for Margo and wished, not for the first time, that she was here to see this life they had made. He wondered what she would say, if she would be proud or pissed off at him for the way this quest made him soft. Or perhaps she'd be jealous. Eliot briefly thought of Margo as a mom, and then shook the thought from him, missing Bambi made him sad and he didn't want to think of that now. 

Instead he turned his attention back to the sleeping baby in his arms, “This life is a bit complicated, but it’s kind of worth it, and Q’s not so bad, he’s going to be a wonderful father.” Eliot paused before adding, “I don’t know how I’ll be, but I promise to do my best.”

This was a new step, Eliot thought, another little tile in the mosaic of his life. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
